GVWR RAM vs...

[Farmer Fran]

So my shiny new 2020 Ram 1500 Limited has a GVWR of 7100lbs. A pickup truck designed to tow and haul, ok maybe not like 2500 or 3500 but still a pickup truck.

My buddies Tahoe GVWR is 7400lbs, sure it can only tow 8400lbs vs my 11000 but we all know how much that really means.

I think he said it weighs ~5900lbs so technically it can tow a lot more than my RAM at 6000lbs. He has 400 more lbs of payload than me, right off the bat.

The government is so stupid in their regulations.

EDIT: To this point RAM, Ford and Chevy 150(0) are all 7100 GVWR

 

[Dontra]

The 7100 is not your tow rating but the payload. 7100 Minus the weight of the truck is your payload rating, what you can haul in the truck including you or anything else in the cab

 

[NorthStar1]

Are you certain your Limited is rated to tow 11,000 pounds? Everything I've ever seen indicates the max for a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 with a 5.7 is 8,190 with a max payload of 1,840...and the Ecodiesel is slightly less than those numbers. I always understood the higher tow rating was for the lesser equipped models like mine (Lone Star 4x2) but not for the Limiteds nor the Longhorns. You might consider inputting your VIN at the link below to get the exact ratings.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html

 

[Farmer Fran]

The 7100 is not your tow rating but the payload. 7100 Minus the weight of the truck is your payload rating, what you can haul in the truck including you or anything else in the cab

Re-read my post. I am well aware of my tow and payload rating. That is why I said my GVWR is 7100. And yes, it directly affects your towing amount.

EDIT: The max trailer I could tow is about 10,900 lbs, now that assumes nothing else is in the truck including me and I am at the low end of the tongue weight at 10%. I usually try and stay closer to 12% but it depends.

So let's just use 10% for ease of number play

I have a payload of 1090 - me at 200 leaves 890 for payload and this does not include and other gear. Now the max trailer is 8900lbs SO technically if we are being real...

Me, wife, gear, etc... 600+ so now I am at ~500 pounds of payload or more importantly, the available tongue weight I have left, meaning a 5000lb trailer.

The Tahoe is already 400 more pounds of payload, meaning it can tow a 9000lbs trailer with me, wife, gear, etc...

Math; Tahoe, GVWR 7400 - truck 5900 = 1500lb payload. Now minus my calculation of 600lbs humans and gear = 900lb payload or a 9000lb trailer due to the left over 900lbs of available tongue weight. But it has a max trailer weight of ~8400lbs which is still a LOT higher than my Fancy RAM.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Are you certain your Limited is rated to tow 11,000 pounds? Everything I've ever seen indicates the max for a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 with a 5.7 is 8,190 with a max payload of 1,840...and the Ecodiesel is slightly less than those numbers. I always understood the higher tow rating was for the lesser equipped models like mine (Lone Star 4x2) but not for the Limiteds nor the Longhorns. You might consider inputting your VIN at the link below to get the exact ratings.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html

100%... straight from RAM.com - using my VIN, I did it before I even bought the truck.

2020 RAM 1500 LIMITED CREW CAB 4X4 5'7" BOX
8-Speed Automatic 8HP75 Transmission

MAX PAYLOAD
1090.39LBS
MAX TOWING
10990.39LBS


It is the lower payload with fancier trucks. The trucks are 7100lb GVWR everyting you add comes off of that, the limited has a lot of added "stuff"

 

[Farmer Fran]

And the Tahoe has IRS! sheesh.

 

[392DevilDog]

This is very interesting. I have been contemplating a GVWR thread myself. But this just made the rabbit hole deeper

The new eco diesel does get a 7200GVWR in 4x4 trim with the same axle ratings.

And as far as the towing goes.

When looking at the chart...obviously they are for a tradesman trim. But what the chart did do was add in driver and hitch and tongue weight.

Now the towing calculators just take GCWR minus base weight and list that as the max towing. So you can not even use a hitch to tow...get it...that is why we constantly habe these towing debates.

Look at @Farmer Fran numbers.

7100 minus 1090 is a base weight of 6010.

6010 plus 10990 equals 17000...which is GCWR for a 3.92 rear gear Hemi.

And then they wonder why people get pissed when they can not tow that camper

 

[chri5k]

Sounds like buyers remorse. Always buy more truck than you think you will need. Stuff like people, gear, trailer size, etc. have a way of sneaking up on you.

 

[dhay13]

Heck we towed my sons TT to Texas with his 2018 6.4 2500. We weighed the total at the scales but didn't weigh the truck separately but my truck is 100% identical other than he has a small toolbox in his but I have a tonneau cover. Maybe 50lbs difference between the 2 trucks. Anyway, based off my truck weight (7240) we calculated with his tongue weight his truck was at about 9200lbs. Had this been a 2500 Cummins it would likely not have been legal.

My truck = 7240 with me in it and 1/2 tank of fuel
His truck: add ~190 for him, ~100 for the other 1/2 tank of fuel, about 200lbs of stuff in the back seat, and about another 300 in the bed. That puts his truck at about 8100lbs. Add the roughly 1100lbs tongue weight and his truck was about 9200lbs with TW. That same truck with a Cummins would have been about 10,100 or very close to that

 

[Farmer Fran]

Sounds like buyers remorse. Always buy more truck than you think you will need. Stuff like people, gear, trailer size, etc. have a way of sneaking up on you.

Nah, not at all. I am well within my towing capacity with my camper. And I wanted a Bed for the dirty crap. It is just stupid imho, just shows how much the government really does not have a clue.

 

[Farmer Fran]

This is very interesting. I have been contemplating a GVWR thread myself. But this just made the rabbit hole deeper

The new eco diesel does get a 7200GVWR in 4x4 trim with the same axle ratings.

And as far as the towing goes.

When looking at the chart...obviously they are for a tradesman trim. But what the chart did do was add in driver and hitch and tongue weight.

Now the towing calculators just take GCWR minus base weight and list that as the max towing. So you can not even use a hitch to tow...get it...that is why we constantly habe these towing debates.

Look at @Farmer Fran numbers.

7100 minus 1090 is a base weight of 6010.

6010 plus 10990 equals 17000...which is GCWR for a 3.92 rear gear Hemi.

And then they wonder why people get pissed when they can not tow that camper

I misspoke - it distributes the weight throughout the axles to make for better towing.

 

[dhay13]

Actually the WDH adds weight to the truck (payload) not the trailer. It takes weight that was on the rear axle and transfers some of it forward to the front axle?

Who here has weighed with WDH attached and unattached? Is there ever a case where the WDH actually lightened the truck? I don't think it is possible?

In my sons case I know it added to the truck. Here is the weigh ticket from the trip to Texas. His TT dry weight is 6600lbs (2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK). His truck was about 8100lbs but the axles weighed out to 9120. That's how we 'guesstimated' he had close to 1100lbs tongue weight.

 

[retired]

this is about the payload an average truck can safely carry..

 

[Travelin Ram]

What makes you think the government specifies weight ratings?

 

[Farmer Fran]

What makes you think the government specifies weight ratings?

not sure if serious?

 

[Farmer Fran]

Actually the WDH adds weight to the truck (payload) not the trailer. It takes weight that was on the rear axle and transfers some of it forward to the front axle?

Who here has weighed with WDH attached and unattached? Is there ever a case where the WDH actually lightened the truck? I don't think it is possible?

In my sons case I know it added to the truck. Here is the weigh ticket from the trip to Texas. His TT dry weight is 6600lbs (2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK). His truck was about 8100lbs but the axles weighed out to 9120. That's how we 'guesstimated' he had close to 1100lbs tongue weight.

Correct, I apologize for that miscommunication. I should have said it distributes the weight better for towing. Last post corrected.

 

[Travelin Ram]

GVWR is specified by the manufacturer. Sorry if my question was brief, I hate typing on a phone screen.

 

[Farmer Fran]

GVWR is specified by the manufacturer. Sorry if my question was brief, I hate typing on a phone screen.

Yes and it is due to the road regulations and tow regulations of the government. Do you really think an IRS Tahoe can out tow/payload a RAM 1500 or their Silverado for that matter?

And if it is the government or just the MFG - a Tahoe can out tow any light duty pickup and it has an IRS

 

[OC455]

this is about the payload an average truck can safely carry..View attachment 226633

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Thanks Northstar the link you posted worked and showed me exactly what the new truck will pull and haul very good info and I am very comfortable with the Ram 1500